


Out Of the Woods

by PsychGirl1



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 15:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11405151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychGirl1/pseuds/PsychGirl1
Summary: In the sleepy town of East Hollow, strange things begin occurring. Its up to a werewolf Detective and his human best friend to find out what's going on. Is there a reason behind these occurrences? or is there something darker and more sinister happening? Can they solve it in time?





	1. Strange Things

Out of the Woods

Chapter One-Strange Things  
I pulled up in front of the East Hollow Police department. I took a deep breath and put the car in park and then shut off the ignition. I grabbed the cup holder and my keys and pushed open my door. I kicked it shut and proceeded up the stairs. Officers were coming and going and heading to their cars to start their daily patrols. I entered the building and was immediately hit with the cool air conditioning. My purse hung on my left arm as I walked toward the desk of my best friend, Detective Jacob Wilson. He was sitting behind his desk typing on the keyboard. He was dressed in a pair of battleship gray slacks, a matching white shirt and striped tie. He was in his mid-thirties with short, but thick and wavy dark brown hair and blue eyes. His badge and ID were clipped to his waist band. He also had a dark brown leather holster which crisscrossed over his back and around each shoulder. He looked up and spied me, breaking into a grin.  
“Hey this is a nice surprise,” he said warmly. “What are you doing here?”  
I flopped down into one of the plush leather chairs in front of his desk and crossed my legs. I pulled one of the iced coffees from the cup holder and handed it to him.  
“Just milk, no sugar,” I said to him as I took mine off and tossed the cup holder into the garbage can. “I just decided to surprise you.” I said shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly. “That and I came to cheer you up.”  
I took a sip of my own iced tea and studied him. I was a bit worried about him. He’d just gone through a major divorce only a week ago. I was even surprised he’d gone back to work so quickly also.  
“Ems, I’m okay I swear,” he said sighing. “It was just not meant to be. I know there’s someone out there for me I just have to find her. I’ll be okay I promise.”  
“You have me right here,” I muttered under my breath but thankfully, Jacob didn’t hear me. I took a sip of my tea again and got lost in my own thoughts. Jacob was tall, about six feet, but he was built. He was athletic, did most of the sports things like white water rafting, rock climbing you name it. I’d been his best friend now for almost 12 years. We’d met at a concert and just hit it off. It turned out we liked the same type of music…however, I wouldn’t be caught dead in a white-water raft, or rock climbing. I had a horrible fear of heights and a little thing about drowning.  
Through the seven years I’d watch him date one woman after the next and oddly, never seemed to see him connect with any of them until he met Jules. They had gotten married and I’d been a bride’s maid. In truth, I had to admit it stung a bit as I had slowly fallen in love with him over the past few years but I never had the courage to tell him. I figured I’d rather have him in my life then not at all. They had stayed married for about 4 years until this divorce popped up. According to Jules, she complained that he was too involved in his job and she even complained about me…which was the icing on the cake.  
Jacob had gotten angry at her for that and that led to a fight—which led to the divorce and now here we are.  
We live in a small town called East Hollow, Maine. This town wasn’t like your ordinary town, which most people would say about their home, but this time, it was right on the money. Here, things are not what they seem. There are supernatural’s living in this town and even working in the police department…and yes, Jacob is one of them. He’s a werewolf.  
There are humans living here in town too, in harmony with the supernaturals. Of course, there are going to be problems which is why the police department hired a few on the inside so there would be no biased issues when dealing with the law. It works, and so far, things are in balance.  
I, myself, am just a normal human. My name is Emma Coleman. I’m 33 years old with shoulder length wheat brown hair with black streaks through it, and hazel brown eyes. Today I was wearing a red paisley dress and knee high black suede boots. My hair was fluffed around my shoulders and I’d applied light blue eye shadow and clear lip-gloss. I had a heart locket around my neck and small diamond studs in my ears. The locket was given to me by my mother who was killed when I was young by a drunk driver who swerved and ended up hitting her. My dad had died a few years ago. Life was never the same after mom passed away.  
I was snapped out of my solemn thoughts when I realized Jacob had his hand over mine, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
“Huh?” I asked blinking and coming out of my stupor.  
“I said are you alright? You zoned out,” he said with a concerned expression.  
“Oh y-yeah I’m alright,” I said waving a hand in the air dismissively. “Just had brain fart.”  
He frowned, but didn’t say anything else which is what I loved about him. He never pushes you or forces you into anything.  
“Hey,” he continued. “I get off work at seven. How about you and I go grab a bite to eat?”  
“Sounds good,” I said nodding. “Sure.”  
“Okay. I’ll pick you up,”  
He grinned at me and then returned his attention back onto the computer screen and resumed typing. I got up and took a few more sips of my tea, heading back out to the guest parking lot. I opened the door to my 2017 Hyundai Sonata and slipped onto the seat. I pulled it closed and turned on the ignition, the ice-cold air conditioning hitting me in the face. I sighed and gripped the steering wheel, letting my forehead hit the top of it. I took a few deep breaths. My pulse was racing madly in my chest as I tried to calm myself. I shouldn’t be nervous—this is Jacob we’re dealing with. He’s my best friend. Still, I eventually calmed down and started the car. I pulled out and headed home.  
Around seven pm, I waited patiently on the couch. I had found a nice summer dress and curled my hair with a curling iron. I had to admit to myself I didn’t look bad. But I knew I didn’t have to dress up for him but I enjoyed it.  
I sat on the couch, and crossed my legs. My phone was next to me on the cushion as I waited for Jacob to text me he was outside in the driveway. I checked my watch. It was 6:59. I had grabbed a glass of orange juice and drank it a bit. When I was done I put the glass on the coffee table. I nervously bounced my foot as I waited.  
An hour went by. No text. I was worried as I had hoped nothing serious had happened. I checked my phone. It wasn’t a full moon out so I knew Jacob wasn’t morphing now. So, what was going on? I ran a hand over my face and then propped my chin up. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I anxiously jumped up and rushed over to the front door. I grabbed the door knob and turned it and opened it expecting it to be Jacob. My excited grin faded when I saw there was nothing there. I took a step onto the porch, looking around trying to see if there was anyone there. But the darkened street was silent. The sun had set and now darkness had fallen. Street lights had come on illuminating sporadic spots down the street. Shrugging it off thinking that perhaps it was a mistake, I closed the door and locked it, and turned to walk back to the couch, when the doorbell rang again. My heart jumped as I took a deep breath and turned around to answer the door again. I grabbed the knob and twisted it. Once again, there was no one there.  
Now I was starting to get scared and uneasy. My heart rate picked up a bit now as I closed the door again and headed back to the couch. Again, the doorbell rang. I was starting breathe a little heavier now. I stood frozen in the living room with my fingers clenched into a fist, which dug into my palms. I heard a noise behind me and turned just as a pile of books from my shelf went flying off and slammed into the opposite wall. I screamed and turned to rush toward the door. I yanked it open preparing to run into the street when I bumped into the chest of something solid. I screamed and felt this something grab my arms. I struggled to break free.  
“Ems! Stop it’s me what’s going on?” Jacob’s voice scolded me.  
I stopped struggling and looked into his concerned face. I realized at that point he was carrying a Chinese takeout bag.  
Sitting on the couch next to me, I explained to Jacob what had happened just as he arrived. He noted the books lying splayed on the floor next to the wall. He frowned.  
“Are you sure they didn’t just topple over from vibration?” he asked slowly.  
“No,” I said shaking my head as I wrapped my arms around myself. “I told you. The doorbell rang twice, but there was no one there. Then I turned and saw the books flying off the shelf.”  
Jacob slowly exhaled and placed a hand on my arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze.  
“Alright,” he said slowly. “How about I stay the night to make sure that nothing else goes on?”  
I shook my head vehemently at his suggestion. I didn’t want him thinking I was some wacko or scaredy cat. It probably was caused by some logical explanation and here I was freaking out like some weirdo.  
“No I can’t ask you to do that,” I said. “You’re probably right. I’m over reacting and there is some logical explanation behind it.”  
Jacob frowned suddenly and got to his feet, heading over to where the books were. I saw him crouch down next to them and pick one of them up. I watched him curiously, wondering what he was up to.  
“Ems, I don’t think there is a logical explanation for this,” he said his tone changing suddenly and now I was starting to get worried.  
“Why what did you find?” I asked.  
“I’m picking up a faint scent of ectoplasm here,” he said wrinkling his nose as he rose to his feet. “So I think you might have a problem.”  
“A ghost problem?” I asked him uneasily.  
“Maybe,” he said slowly. “I think its best that you gather some of your belongings and come stay with me. I don’t think it’s safe here now.”  
Werewolves had an uncanny knack for picking up the most unusual scents. Ghosts, spirits and other things along those lines apparently leave behind residue that their sensitive senses can detect. I never understood it, the technical aspects of it, but I trusted Jacob and nodded. He waited in the living room while I hurried into my bedroom, grabbed my suitcase and began packing. I had my back to the closet, which had two sliding doors. I was busy throwing clothes into the luggage and didn’t hear them slowly opening behind me…until I heard the creak. My heart hammering in my chest I closed the luggage and zipped it and then slowly turned around. The doors were opened and I stared into the darkness and that’s when I saw two glowing red eyes staring back at me. I screamed and grabbed my luggage, rushing from the room.  
“Ems, what happened?” Jacob asked as I came charging down the stairs.  
“Let’s go,” I said frightened as I hurried out of the house.  
Jacob was confused for a moment then he followed me. He put the luggage into the back of his car as I climbed into the front passenger seat and reached up to grab the seatbelt and pull it across my shoulder. My hands were shaking violently as I tried to get the belt to click but I kept missing. He climbed in next to me and shut his door. Noticing I was having a problem buckling in, he gently placed his hand over mine and guided it into the buckle. It clicked into place and started his car. I felt his eyes on me the entire time as he put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway.  
When we were away from the house, I felt relaxed but a bit unnerved and spooked.  
“Ems what happened back there?” he demanded glancing at me sideways as we stopped for a red light.  
I swallowed and told him what I’d seen.  
When I was done, he was silent for a moment.  
“It’s okay,” he said in a reassuring tone patting my knee. “You’re safe now. I think I was right about having a ghost issue in the house—but I never imagined something like that.”  
“Do you have an idea on what it could be?” I asked him meekly peering over at him.  
“No,” he said shaking his head. “But I think we did the right thing in getting you out of there.”  
A few moments later, we pulled up to his house. He had colonial style ranch painted a light yellow with accented dark teal window shutters. The garage was on the right side of the house. There was a large tree in front which provided plenty of shade. He pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine. I unbuckled myself and pushed open my door, climbing out. I felt safer already here. Jacob grabbed my luggage and then locked the car. He led me up the small path to the front door. He opened it and turned to glance at me.  
“Make yourself at home,” he said softly as he opened the door and we went inside.  
His home was decorated in modern furniture with some colonial designs thrown in. It actually meshed really well.  
“The guest bedroom is down the hall and to the right,” he instructed motioning to the hallway. “Bathrooms at the end.”  
He handed me my luggage.  
“Go unpack and unwind,” he said. “I’ll heat up the Chinese food I brought so you can have something to eat.”  
I gently took the luggage and followed his instructions. I opened the door to the guest bedroom and flicked on the light. It was painted a warm mauve color with a cannon ball four poster bed. The comforter was matching with mauve and white accents on it. There was a dresser against the wall, a nightstand with a lamp on it and alarm clock; a wooden wardrobe against the corner and then the window which was opened a bit letting in a semi cool breeze. The curtains fluttered softly as I plopped the luggage on the bed and began unpacking. I grabbed a pair of gray leggings and an oversized tee shirt which hung off my shoulder a bit and headed into the bathroom to change.  
Feeling a bit more comfortable, I then padded back down the hall with white anklet socks on my feet to find Jacob in the kitchen already warming up the food. He had changed into a pair of plaid lounge pants and a plain white undershirt. He looked up. He handed me a plate filled with my favorite Chinese food which was steaming hot and a bottle of water. I gratefully took the plate and bottle and stared at my food for a moment.  
“Thanks Jake,” I said quietly.  
“For what?”  
“For believing me,” I said finally raising my eyes to his. “Just for everything tonight.”  
He waved a hand dismissively and grabbed his own plate and drink.  
“Never mind,” he said coming over to me. “You’re my best friend Ems. Of course, I’m going to believe you and have your back.”  
Smiling, I took a seat on the couch and dug into my food. Surprisingly, I was starving. I had a feeling knowing that I wasn’t in the house or possible danger, my appetite had come back. When I was done, I leaned back against the couch. Jake turned on the TV. Apparently, there were news reports of strange things occurring around town. The supernatural community was dumbfounded at this point. The human community had no idea what was going on either but there a few accusations around that the supernatural residents might have something to do with these occurrences. There was just a lot of suspicion going around now with no real answers which made it even more frightening and confusing.  
I drew one leg up to my chest and wrapped my arms around it. I rested my chin on top of my knee.  
“What’s happening Jake?” I asked him.  
“No idea,” he responded next to me. “But I have a feeling in the morning I’m going to have a stackful of cases to figure out.” He sighed and ran a hand over his face from exhaustion. I could see that he was tired. By now it was nearly ten o’clock and even I was starting to feel fatigue settling in. I yawned and raised my arms above my head, stretching lazily.  
“Okay I think it’s time to hit the sack,” I said. “Night Jake.”  
“If it hits you back, let me know,” He cracked.  
I chuckled and shook my head as I headed into the guest bedroom. I face planted on the bed and within moments I was out cold.  
******************************************************************************  
I awoke to warm sunshine on my face and I blinked a few time clearing my vision. I yawned and stretched and slowly got to my feet. Bright rays of sunlight poured in through the blinds, creating little bars of light on the hardwood floor. Dust particles danced in the beams. The scent of sausage, eggs and bacon filled my nose as I inhaled and hungrily my stomach responded in a loud growl. I eagerly left the bedroom and entered the kitchen. Jacob was already dressed in a suit and tie. He grinned.  
“Morning sleepy head,” he said as I slid onto a barstool at the semi large island that was in the center of the kitchen. He plopped a plateful of food down in front of me and I grabbed a fork and dug in. As he passed me, I caught a brief whiff of his cologne.  
“Hey,” I said lightly spearing a piece of sausage.  
“How did you sleep?” He prompted as he leaned against the counter and dug into his own breakfast.  
“Alright,” I admitted softly. “Better knowing I was safe here.”  
Jacob let out an understanding huff and within moments, his plate was completely bare. Werewolves tended to have really good appetites.  
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you Ems you know that,” he added warmly and sincerely as he placed his plate into the sink. I quickly finished my own breakfast and he took my plate too, placing it on top of his.  
“Um,” he said rubbing the back of his head. “I know you don’t wanna hang around the house all day. I-I mean you can come with me to the precinct. It’s not usually protocol to have civilians hanging around the bullpen, but…” his voice trailed off.  
“I don’t want to get you into trouble Jake,” I said shaking my head. “I’ll be fine around the house.”  
He looked upset and guilty but he sighed and walked around the island. He came up to me and threw his arms around me, pulling me against him. I leaned into his embrace, wrapping my arms around his neck. One of his arms snaked around my shoulders, while the other wound around my waist. Our chins rested on one anothers shoulders.  
“I’ll be okay,” I whispered.  
“If you need me for anything, and I mean anything just call okay?” he whispered back in my ear. He gave me an extra squeeze before gently disentangling himself from my embrace. He gave me a mock salute before slipping on his suit jacket and grabbing his keys and heading out the door.  
********************************************************************************  
JACOB  
As I stepped out of the house and closed the door behind me, I felt my heart flutter a bit. I had never told Emma this but I had fallen in love with her. I had supposed that was why most of my dates and the marriage had fallen apart. She was the one for me. I was just too scared teo tell her right now for the fear of losing her completely. Exhaling, I climbed into my 2017 Ford Fusion, black, and headed to the precinct.  
Sitting behind my desk now, my partner, Carlton Weiss, came over and leaned his hip against it. He was dressed in a navy suit and tie. He was older, in his early 40’s with gray hair and blue eyes. He was about the same height as I was but he was wiry and slender. He folded his arms across his chest and watched me with a knowing expression on his face.  
“Okay I know that look,” he said in an amused tone. “Girl trouble right?”  
I looked up at him and didn’t say anything right away.  
“Oh come on,” he pleaded. “You have that look on your face like ‘I slept with the wrong girl and how do I get out of this’ expression. Spill, Wilson.”  
I sighed. There was no getting past him. He was just too damn good.  
“Emma’s staying with me,” I finally relayed to him leaning back in my chair and clasping my hands behind my head. “She had something strange happen to her last night and I could pick up it was some kind of ghost, but it was dangerous. I didn’t want her staying in her house alone.”  
Carlton blinked.  
“Ah,” he said in an understanding tone. “You want to get into her shorts huh? But you’re afraid to cross that friendship line.”  
“Jesus,” I said exhaling and rolling my eyes at him in disgust. “Have some respect.”  
“I’m sorry,” he said laughing and holding up his hands in a defensive position. “Emma is a hottie man come on. You know it and I know it and so does every guy out there. You just played the hero to the damsel in distress. You’re golden. It’s only a matter of time for the reward.” He said winking at me. I went to throw something at him but thankfully, the Chief, Alan Harper, came over with a tan manila case folder, ending our conversation.  
Alan was in his late 50’s with salt and pepper hair and a bit of a beer belly. He had a goatee that was the same color as his hair. He dropped it on my desk.  
“This just came in,” he grunted in a gruff voice. “There has been a murder. A female victim in her early 30’s. She had been badly mutilated by something. I want you two to go investigate this.”  
“Right Chief,” I said nodding and snatched the folder. I got to my feet and grabbed the keys to the Ford Explorer, and Carlton followed me closely behind.  
When we got to the scene, there was yellow and black crime scene tape wrapped around blocking it off. Carlton and I flashed our badges and ID’s to the police officer standing guard before ducking under the tape. There was a body lying a few feet in front of us. The murder had apparently taken place in the park only a few blocks from Emma’s home. The park had several jogging paths that wound through it. In the center of the park was a small pond and a foot bridge that went over it. The body was covered in a yellow tarp but I could see a bright red stain forming on it already. When we reached it, the ME looked up.  
“So what happened?” Carlton asked the ME curiously as I crouched down next to the body to see if I could pick up any scent that might alert me to what had done this. Carlton, was a vampire. They usually tried to pair two supernaturals together to work on cases. It was a legal thing the department did. But he could control his blood urges. In cases like this, if he got a little too out of hand, I was ordered to restrain him any way I could. Why the Chief gave us this case knowing he had an affinity to blood, I’ll never know.  
The ME pulled back the tarp and I choked back a gag and pressed the top of my wrist to my nostrils. The girls throat was torn out, as well as several deep gauges along her back. Her leg had been bitten in several places, and looked as though it had been partially eaten. I knew a werewolf wouldn’t do this as werewolves didn’t hunt humans…unless this was a rogue one that went off the grid.  
I could hear Carlton talking with the ME.  
“We have no idea what could’ve done this,” The ME was saying writing on the clipboard. “It definitely doesn’t look like any known regular animal.”  
“Could it be…?” Carlton’s voice trailed off and I knew what he was asking.  
“A rogue one possibly,” I responded. “But I don’t detect anything.”  
Carlton kept his eyes on the ME and began asking if there any witnesses. I heard their voices but as I gently turned the womans head slightly toward me, a hard truth hit me. This woman looked like Emma. Same build, body type and hair coloring. I stood up. Carlton was done talking to the ME as they covered the poor girl up again. I turned to Carlton. He saw my expression.  
“What is it?” he asked me with concern.  
“Did you notice something?” I asked him, gently taking his elbow and leading him away from the crime scene. We ducked back under the tape and stood next to the Ford Explorer. He looked at me with a puzzled look that I figured he wasn’t sure what I was talking about.  
“The victim looked exactly like Emma,” I whispered. “Same body build and type and hair color.”  
“Are you sure?” he asked frowning. “It could be a coincidence and nothing more.”  
“I don’t know,” I said biting my bottom lip. “Something about this seems wrong and I have a bad feeling in my gut.”  
Carlton was silent for a moment.  
“Okay,” he said exhaling. “Let’s see if there’s anything that might shed some light on this more. We can check out the victim’s house. If you wanna call Emma go a head to check in with her.”  
We climbed into the truck. Carlton was driving so that gave me a chance to call Emma and check on her. For some reason, this case was bothering me. More so because I didn’t get any scent off what killed her, and the fact that she looked like Emma so much in her profile, it was nagging me.  
I dialed home.  
**************************************************************************************  
EMMA.  
The phone rang and I picked it up. It was Jake.  
“Hey,” I said cheerfully into phone. “What’s up Jake?”  
“Are you alright Emma?” he asked.  
Something in his tone I didn’t like.  
“Sure. What’s going on?” I asked now lowering the volume on the TV so I could hear him better. I was watching my favorite TV show but now I was alert to Jake’s tone.  
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said. “I can’t talk about it now but I just wanted to check in and make sure you were alright.”  
“Yes I’m fine,” I said. “You’re scaring me now Jacob.”  
“Trust me,” he said as I heard traffic noises coming through the phone. “I’ll talk to you more later when I get home. But if you see anything or hear anything unusual call me right away okay?”  
“Yes of course,” I said.  
“Okay. I’ll be home soon. Talk to you later,”  
“Bye,”  
After I hung up, I turned up the volume on the TV again and saw a news reporter standing in front of a crime scene in the park that was only a few blocks from my house. I leaned forward with interest now as I saw the reporter flash a picture of the victim. Apparently, she had been viciously attacked by some animal. And when the picture of the victim appeared on the screen, I finally understood what had rattled Jacob. The victim looked exactly like me.


	2. Grim Grim Grinning Ghosts

Out of The Woods

Chapter Two-Grim Grim Grinning Ghosts  
When Jacob returned home, I could tell he was preoccupied. He dropped his keys on the small little table in the hallway and then he appeared in the doorway to the living room. I had tucked my legs beneath me on the couch and was in the midst of reading a book. I quickly put it down and jumped to my feet.  
“I saw the news,” I said biting my lower lip. “Is that what’s bothering you?”  
Jake sighed and pulled off his suit jacket. He carefully slung it across the back of the chair and stood with a hand on his hip. He raised the other hand to his forehead and rubbed his temple.  
“Yes,” he said closing his eyes. His handsome features were twisted into a mask of anguish and anxiety; a look that did not suit him one bit. “But whatever killed that poor girl is still on the loose out there.”  
“Was it a rogue?” I whispered.  
“No,” he said shaking his head and eventually raised his eyes to meet mine. “That’s what’s bothering me. There was no scent there…nothing. I have no idea what could’ve done this.”  
I hugged myself and felt a shiver run down my spine. If Jake had no idea what killed her, then something was wrong.  
“Hey,” he said softly coming over to me and gently taking my elbows. “I won’t let anything happen to you; you know that. We’ll get to the bottom of this I promise.”  
I nodded but kept my eyes off to the space beside him not wanting to look him in the eyes. I felt him gently take my chin between his index finger and thumb and tilt my face up forcing me to look into his eyes.  
Eep! My mind screamed.  
“Try not to worry okay?” he said softly studying my expression.  
I swore he looked more and more like he stepped off the cover of GQ. He could’ve actually gone into modeling he just had that look about him and a certain je ne sais quoi. But he’d decided that he’d wanted to get into law enforcement. His parents were pretty supportive of him and his choices. His mother was in a nursing home on the edge of town. She was a werewolf too—the whole family was as he had been born into it. Most are thrown into it from a bite or scratch. If you are born into it, you are pretty much able to control your transformations. While you’re really supposed to morph during the full moon, there are some occasions when you can morph on non-full moon cycles. It’s not really advised but those that are thrown into this ‘lifestyle’ tend to have a much harder time and end up going rogue.  
I offered him a wan smile and gently pulled my chin from his grasp. I wrung my hands together as I returned to sitting on the couch.  
I was honestly worried about him, but my conscience was telling me that he could most certainly handle himself. After a few moments, we relaxed and watched some TV. I felt my eye lids getting heavy. I felt myself slumping sideways. I felt my cheek hit the cool material of his shirt on his bicep. My eye lids got heavier and I eventually found myself dozing off and falling into a peaceful sleep.  
************************************************************************  
The next morning, I awoke to the warm sunshine on my face. I heard a soft snoring beside me and realized I’d fallen asleep against Jacob. I quickly sat up, feeling the heat creeping into my cheeks from embarrassment. I had hoped I hadn’t made any kind of noises during the night because that would traumatize me for life if he had heard them. He was asleep too, with his head against the back of the couch.  
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, which caused him to jump a mile. He ended up kicking the coffee table and let out a few choice curses and a hiss as he scrambled to his feet. He limped over to the front door and I heard it open.  
“Hey partner, ready?” I heard his partner, Carlton’s cheery voice.  
“Come in,” I heard Jacob say.  
I heard footsteps on the hardwood floor and looked up. His partner was standing in the doorway, one shoulder leaning against the frame. He had his arms crossed across his chest with a knowing and smug expression on his face.  
“Why what went on here?” he teased winking at me.  
That only caused my cheeks to flush with color more as I sank into the couch and physically wanted to disappear at this point.  
“Knock it off,” Jacob muttered in slight irritation. “Nothing we just fell asleep together on the couch. Nothing more. I’ll be right back.”  
“Suuure,” Carlton sung in a mock tone but he was grinning broadly none-the-less. “Hey listen,” he said to me. “You need to come along. The chief gave me instructions to bring Emma in.”  
Jacob had returned at that moment from a quick shower and a fresh suit and tie. He was just pulling on his tie when he had heard Carlton’s statement.  
“What? Why?” he demanded glancing at me before returning his attention back to his partner.  
“I think it’s because the Chief’s not stupid mate,” Carlton said frowning. “He noted the coincidence about the victim’s appearance that matches Emma’s.”  
“Okay,” I said slowly getting to my feet. “Let me go change.”  
“Nah you can stay that way I won’t mind,”  
“You are such a horndog,” I said rolling my eyes but I headed into the guest bedroom and changed into a pair of jeans, a pair of black ankle boots and a white poplin shirt. I quickly gathered my hair into a side braid and fastened it. I turned and hurried back out to meet Jacob and Carlton.

At the precinct, I sat in the chair in front of the Chief’s desk. I had my hands clasped on my lap. Flanking me, were Jacob and Carlton.  
“Alright,” the Chief grumbled. “I’m sure you two are aware of the uncanny resemblance to Miss Coleman. (They nodded) So, I’m putting you two on guard duty. We don’t know what’s going on or if there is any connection here but I want to be safe than sorry.”  
“Right Chief,” Carlton said in a serious tone.  
The Chief turned to me and his expression softened slightly.  
“Don’t worry we’ll get to the bottom of all this mess,” he said and turned his attention onto the case file on his desk. “Dismissed.”  
We exited his office and I felt Jacob put a hand on the small of my back, leading me over to the chair. I sat down. Jacob sat down behind his desk. He began doing some filing. Carlton had headed over to his own. I looked around. The bullpen was busy. There was a soft murmur of chatter floating around from the police officers and detectives. Papers rustled, coughs went around and the good-natured banter. Phones rang off their hooks as well adding to the already hectic atmosphere. I reached up and tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear as I crossed my legs. I had my purse on the floor under Jacob’s desk.  
Suddenly, the air in the bullpen seemed to almost freeze. I tilted my head slightly and turned around. It was suddenly as though a chilly breeze had swept through. Papers fluttered to the floor on their own. I could hear puzzled and confused murmurs going around now. Filing cabinet doors were yanked open and the contents went spitting into the air. Several officers were now on their feet, completely alarmed and dare I say spooked.  
“What on earth…?” I heard Jacob say slowly rising to his feet.  
The phenomenon seemed to be getting closer to me. I dug my fingernails into the back rail of the chair. There was this palpable silence that hung in the air. At that point, something had grabbed one of the legs of the chair I was sitting on and yanked it out from underneath me. I landed on my hands and knees. I was just starting to get to my feet, when something grabbed my ankle. It felt like ice cold hands gripping me. The fingers dug into my skin as I suddenly felt myself being dragged across the floor. My leg was raised in the air by this invisible ‘thing’ as it pulled me along the bullpen.  
“Emma!” I heard Jacob shout.  
I screamed as several officers tried to grab my arms as I went by but to no avail. I could see the look of fear, anxiety and determination flashing across Jacob’s face. Carlton was right behind him also.  
Jacob made a dive for me and managed to grab my arms.  
“Hang on,” He instructed.  
I gripped his forearm tightly. I felt bad that my fingers were digging into his skin through his shirt, but I hung on for dear life. I could feel whatever had my ankle give a fruitful tug, but due to Jacob’s strength, eventually whatever had me let me go. The chaos in the bullpen had died down. My legs dropped to the floor as Carlton caught up to where we were. We had been inches from the front door. Jacob pulled me against him as he was on his knees at this point. I was too as I gathered a bit of his shirt in my hands and pressed my face into it. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and gently placed a hand on the back of my head. His other arm snaked around my waist.  
“What the hell is going on?” I whimpered shutting my eyes.  
Jacob was silent. I think he was at a genuine loss for words. His only response was to pull me tighter against him.  
“Jake, look at her ankle,” I heard Carlton whisper softly. I felt him gently touch my ankle. I slowly peeled my face away from the front of Jacob’s shirt to look down at my ankle. There were four red finger prints on my ankle that were ice cold to the touch.  
*****************************************************************  
Jacob decided to head the library and see if there were any occult books that might be able to help us identify what’s going on. He found three books and now, sitting with him on the couch in his house, along with Carlton, we poured over them. My ankle felt like it had been dipped in an ice bucket. I was reading one book, Jacob had the second and Carlton had the last. I looked up at him.  
“Are you…okay? Food wise,” I said carefully meaning if he had taken enough blood to sustain him for a decent amount of time before having to ‘refuel’.  
“Yeah don’t worry,” he said grinning at me so that I caught a faint glimpse of his long canines. “If I bite you Jacob will kill me.”  
Jacob snorted at that but I knew that Jake would be good on his word.  
“Here’s something,” I said suddenly sitting up right and handing the book over to Jacob. “It says something about a poltergeist.”  
“Hmm,” Jacob mused looking over the article. “Even poltergeists leave some form of trace behind that I could pick up.”  
“Yeah,” Carlton agreed nodding. “Vampire sense of smell is also very sharp. But I too, didn’t pick up anything from the last crime scene.”  
“We have to keep looking,” Jacob said handing the book back to me.  
I nodded.  
About another hour went by, and Jacob suddenly sat up straighter. By the look on his face, I knew he’d found something.  
“What is it?” I asked leaning closer and peering over his arm at the book.  
Carlton came over and stood next to the couch, bending over slightly.  
“Uh oh,” I heard him mutter under his breath.  
“What?” I prompted looking from him to Jacob.  
There was silence for a moment before Jacob spoke.  
“It’s something called a Veruct,” he explained. “What that is, is a spirit working for someone. This person has the power or ability to help cloak that spirit’s energy, which is why we couldn’t pick up any residual scent of the ectoplasm. This person controls the spirit to track down targets and drag them to the underworld where they will stay permanently.”  
I was not liking where this was going at all. I chewed on the inside of my cheek as he continued.  
“Someone has a vendetta against you,” Jacob said skimming over the paragraph before closing the book. “I don’t understand why, but we need to find this person and put a stop to this.”  
“Did you tick anyone off?” Carlton asked tilting his head to the side and placing his hands on his hips.  
“Of course not,” I said scandalized. “I’m just as shocked and confused as you are.”  
“Okay,” he said calmly holding his hands up defensively. “I just have to make sure in case there are some leads that we could follow up on.”  
“But this definitely means she’s going to need protection,” Jacob said looking up at his partner. “They already tried to grab her once already today in broad daylight in the middle of the police station so we know whoever’s behind this isn’t afraid and has guts.”  
Carlton nodded. Jacob ran his hands over his face to shake off fatigue.  
“I think it’s time to get some shut eye,” he said turning to his partner. “You’re sitting outside to keep watch right?”  
Carlton nodded.  
“Yeah I’m taking the first watch,” he said before turning his eyes onto me and giving me a mock salute. “Night Ems.”  
“Night,” I said softly.  
Jacob put the books on the coffee table and turned to me.  
“Try and get some sleep,” he said. “I know its hard but definitely try.”  
I nodded and got to my feet, before turning and heading into the room.  
***********************************************************************  
Now that we had an idea on what it could possibly be, that didn’t make it any less frightening and scary. I had no idea who would want to hurt me like this or why. I generally got along with everyone or at least tried to. I couldn’t wait to find out who was the one behind this.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER.  
It was a little frustrating having two ‘baby sitters’ still but I knew it was for a good reason. Jacob understood my frustration and grumblings. I hated sometimes snapping at him and would often apologize the moment I realized I’d done it. It was just the pressure of the unknown that was really bothering me at this point.  
I was standing in the bathroom in front of the mirror running a brush through my hair. I stared at my own reflection. There were slight dark circles under my eyes as I hadn’t been sleeping well at night. My cheeks were still naturally rosy and my eyes had this dull light in them. As I continued to brush my hair, I noticed that my reflection seemed to have stopped following my movement. I stopped brushing too, staring at it as fear crept into my chest. My reflection’s expression changed too to this sinister smirk.  
“You like the attention you’re getting from Jacob aren’t you?” It asked in an odd gravelly voice as though it had been underwater for a long period of time. “Yeah…you are. You just want to sleep with him. You’re curious. He wouldn’t want to sleep with you though. He thinks you’re revolting.”  
I shut my eyes willing the image to go away. I counted to five and opened my eyes again. My reflection was still there but then, the glass shimmered and rippled like the surface of a pond. At that moment, a decaying hand shot out from the center and tried to grab me. I let out a cry and stumbled back.  
My reflection cackled in the mirror before I heard Jacob’s shout. I heard a knock on the door.  
“Ems are you okay in there? I heard you cry out,” I heard his voice on the other side of the door filled with concern.  
By now the glass in the mirror had returned to normal as though nothing had happened. I cleared my throat and slowly got to my feet.  
“Yes I’m fine,” I called as I slipped past the sink and opened the door. “I just saw a spider crawling down the sink. Sorry I scared you.” I offered sheepishly hoping he would buy the lie, but I didn’t think so. He was too smart. He only frowned but said nothing more.  
Just then, his cell phone rang. He remained standing in front of me and reached into his pocket.  
“Detective Wilson here,” He said and then was silent. I saw a look of shock and surprise flitter across his face. “Are you sure?” (another pause) “Alright. I’ll be right there.” He hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. I looked at him puzzled.  
“Apparently, there’s been another murder,” he said studying me intently. “This time, it’s a young girl.”


End file.
